Jade and Gregory’s pretty county hall wedding

Bride Jade with her bridesmaids and flowergirls

Jade and Gregory first met 15 years ago. “A friend of mine introduced me to Greg,” says Jade. “He was a typical young boy and he knew I fancied him. Over the next 15 years we built up our relationship, having our first child young and then going on to have two more children.”

“We knew we wanted our children to be present at our wedding, so it was perfect to get married, with our children by our side. The speeches that our children did will be memorable forever.”

Bride in her off the shoulder wedding dress

A low-key proposal

Greg proposed 10 years after the couple first met. “We were always putting the wedding off, as when is it ever the right time?”says Jade. “However, we went ahead and booked the date, which we are so glad we did!” Greg proposed in 2016, at home. “He kept it low-key, as he was so nervous. When he asked me, we were so excited! I couldn’t stop looking at my ring, and couldn’t believe that one day in the future I was going to be not just his childhood sweetheart but also his wife, forever and always.”

Bride walking down the aisle with her son

Shopping for the dress

“My experience with WED2B was amazing,”says Jade. “I have a spinal condition, so I originally went to the Milton Keynes store and found my dream dress. However, a year later, I went for a dress fitting and couldn’t get into it. I was absolutely devastated but customer service and the store in Chesham managed to exchange my dress.”

" The staff made me feel like a princess and took all my worries away, just four weeks before the wedding. I couldn’t thank them enough for going above and beyond, listening and helping me find my dream dress. The one I chose was the complete opposite to the one I had previously. However, I loved it and felt like a fairytale princess.”

Groom putting the wedding ring on the bride

Jade chose Ally. “I wanted something to cover my arms, but still wanted a little boho inspired dress,” she says. “Ally made me feel like a real life Disney princess. The detail and the bodice were everything I wanted and more. The lace arms were also perfect and it all tied in with my headpiece, veil and accessories.”

(For similar styles try Nataliya, Elowen and Finch)

Bride and groom kissing at their county hall wedding venue

A county hall wedding venue

The couple married on 24th June 2022. “We had a Hertford County Hall wedding, as I knew few people who had married there,”says Jade. “The arches are a huge statement and as soon as I saw them I knew I wanted to marry my best friend here. We imagined photos underneath the arches, with all our nearest and dearest present. Our reception was at The Forum, Stevenage. It catered for everything we wanted, such as the size and the entertainment.”

Bride and Groom posing outside their wedding venue

The big day

“We got ready in the morning and I spent the time with my mum, twin sister (maid of honour), my bridesmaids and my daughters who were my flower girls,”says Jade. “The weather was cloudy, just typical from having a heatwave the week before!

Bride and Groom walking through confetti

"My son, Harley, walked me down the aisle. He was the only special boy I wanted to give his mummy away to his daddy. We walked in to ‘Why I Love You’ by Major. Our children, Myah, Evie and Harley read ‘Love is’. The readings and the announcement that we were now husband and wife were our favourite moments.”

Bride and Groom holding hands at their county hall wedding venue

Let’s party!

After the ceremony, everyone travelled to the reception in a vintage double-decker bus. “We were welcomed by the staff who served drinks, cakes and personalised cookies,” says Jade.

“We both wanted a different first dance song. I liked ‘Perfect’ by Ed Sheeran and Greg wanted ‘Falling in Love With You’ by UB40. In the end, we couldn’t decided so we merged the two songs together, and the verses kept changing over to each song. This worked perfectly as the lyrics to our relationship, especially being childhood sweethearts.”

Bride and Groom's green double decker bus

Blush pink, sage and rose gold

“Our theme was blush pink, sage and rose gold,”says Jade. “We had rose gold sashes on chairs with blush scattered petals and sequin runners. Our tall centrepieces had lights in the bases with greenery and blush pink flowers. We served cookies, cakes, meats, rolls, a cheeseboard and a finger buffet.”

Bride and Groom posing in front of their double decker bus

“Our cake was a three-tier naked wedding cake with flowers on each tier and finished with our married name in the icing, all done by our lovely neighbour as a wedding gift,”says Jade. “It sat on a hoop floral board and took centre stage on our dance floor.”

Bride and groom posing for their wedding photos

“Favours were Love Heart sweets and there was also a fun photo booth. Plus, we had an LED dance floor, DJ, magic mirror and chocolate fountain. There were also ‘Mr & Mrs’ Iight-up letters, blossom trees and a sweet cart that finished it off perfectly. I personalised all of the little signs, welcome signs and all the bits, such as hangers, glasses and the finishing touches, during lockdown.”

The best bits…

“The most memorable parts of the day were getting ready with my girls and seeing my son waiting for me to walk into the ceremony with him,”says Jade. “And, of course, marrying my best friend, making our reception entrance and partying with my nearest and dearest.”

Bride and Groom posing with their children in front of a flower wall

My top tips…

“Take time out to tell your children how proud you are of them and how lucky you are to have them by your side,”says Jade. “Don’t stress. Things go wrong, but people don’t notice. Struggling to get into your dress? Stand straight and push your shoulders back. It’s a game changer!”

Bride and Groom cutting their wedding cake

Jade and Gregory’s Dream Team

Photographer: Absolute Photo UK

Reception Venue: The Forum, Stevenage

County Hall Wedding Venue: Hertford County Hall

Wedding dresses Chesham: WED2B

Suit: Marc Darcy

Caterer: TJ’s Cafe

Entertainment: No1 Photobooth

Wedding planning: Surj at Events Management Team

Hair stylist: Charlotte Day

If you would like us to feature your big day, like this county hall wedding, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Your nearest WED2B is closer than you think, click here for more details about WED2B’s bridal shops Chesham